Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, are commonly obtained from subterranean formations that may be located onshore or offshore. The development of subterranean operations and the processes involved in removing hydrocarbons from a subterranean formation typically involve a number of different steps such as, for example, drilling a wellbore at a desired well site, treating the wellbore to optimize production of hydrocarbons, and performing the necessary steps to produce and process the hydrocarbons from the subterranean formation.
After drilling a wellbore that intersects a subterranean hydrocarbon-bearing formation, a variety of wellbore tools may be positioned in the wellbore during completion, production, or remedial activities. For example, temporary packers may be set in the wellbore during the completion and production operating phases of the wellbore. In addition, various operating tools including flow controllers (e.g., chokes, valves, etc.) and safety devices such as safety valves may be positioned in the wellbore. Such downhole equipment may be selectively actuated in a number of different ways. For example, it is common practice to manipulate certain valves open or closed by dropping a ball into a flowpath through the downhole equipment. The ball is designed to catch on an interior sleeve of the downhole equipment, and additional pressure is applied behind the ball to force the sleeve downward, thereby opening or sealing the valve. Unfortunately, dropped balls rely on a variation in inner diameter of the tool string, thereby limiting the number of valves that can be manipulated along a tool as well as the number of times a valve can be selectively opened and closed in this manner.
In other instances, pressurized fluid from the surface may be pumped downhole to actuate various downhole tools, such as a packer setting tool. These setting tools often include a chamber held at atmospheric pressure and having a rupture valve. The pressurized fluid pumped downhole can then rupture the valve, and the pressure differential from the ruptured valve forces a piston to set the packer. Unfortunately, providing this high pressurization from the surface can burden downhole equipment.